PRLog (Press Release) - Jul 20, 2012  

As the Platinum Sponsor of SIGGRAPH 2012, Christie®, the first in the world to publically demonstrate 3D High Frame Rate (HFR) projection technology using a single projector, is proud to host the SIGGRAPH HFR Panel, “High Frame Rate Cinema, Impacts on Art and Technology,” to be held Wednesday, August, 8 at 10:45 a.m., at the LA Convention Center, Hall K. The panel will feature 10 cinema industry leaders, led by Gordon E. Sawyer Academy Award winner Douglas Trumbull and Dennis Muren, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic. It will be moderated by Paul Salvini, chief technology officer (CTO) of Christie. (In late breaking news, Jon Landau, Academy Award-winning producer of “Avatar” and “Titanic” has confirmed his participation in the HFR panel).

Filmmaker and Visual Effects legend Douglas Trumbull’s photographic effects credits include groundbreaking films such as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” "Blade Runner," and “The Tree of Life.” Douglas Trumbull pioneered work on High Frame Rate cinematography and projection with his Showscan process of 70mm film photographed and projected at 60 fps, and is now exploring 3D at 120 fps. Dennis Muren is the recipient of eight Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Visual Effects, with credits that include “Star Wars” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”  

“The SIGGRAPH HFR panel will explore the technology behind high-frame-rate cinema, and look at what it will mean to producers of content and to the audience experience,” noted Paul Salvini.  “The panelists are pioneers in their fields, addressing the challenges of HFR across the entire workflow, to provide the post-production and visual effects communities with important guidance regarding the challenges and rewards of developing HFR content for the exhibition community.”

Additional panelists include:

•   Jim Beshears, Head of Post-production at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., oversees all aspects of the studio's self-contained editorial and post-production facilities.  Jim has been instrumental in creating a solid support system capable of simultaneously managing multiple feature-length animated projects and multiple short projects.

•   Matthew Cowan, co-founder of Entertainment Technology Consultants and currently Chief Scientific Officer at RealD, of California, developed RealD’s successful 3D cinema system and is respected in the post-production community for his knowledge and application of human perception to 3D systems, color, and transfer functions in digital cinema.

•   Darin Grant, Chief Technology Officer, Digital Domain Media Group, is responsible for the overall technology strategy for the company and its many subsidiaries. He is the former head of production technology at DreamWorks Animation.

•   John Helliker is Founder/Director of Sheridan College’s SIRT Centre, a research and training facility focused on digital workflow innovations including HFR and virtual production.  Based at Pinewood Toronto Studios, SIRT’s leading edge work is based on a unique set of partnerships with major industry guilds and associations, individual companies, as well as government and academia.

•   Luke Moore, Director of Special Projects at Canada’s Side Effects Software, in Toronto, is responsible for identifying and addressing the unique technical challenges faced by studios using the popular Houdini VFX and Animation software. Luke brings first-hand knowledge and anecdotes regarding challenges of managing large datasets necessary to enable higher temporal and physical resolution to meet the needs of new challenges in modern production environments.

•   Phil Oatley is Head of Technology at New Zealand-based Park Road Post Production, where his visionary talents have guided the company through incredible growth, including establishing key partnerships to promote HFR research and development.

•   Dr. Lincoln Wallen, Head of Research and Development at Dreamworks Animation, in California, and formerly CTO at Electronic Arts Mobile, where he was instrumental in shaping EA's approach to the mobile business, creating a strong portfolio of mass market mobile games, as well as games delivering a next-generation consumer experience.

“As the first licensee to market digital cinema projection based on Texas Instruments’ revolutionary DLP Cinema® technology, Christie has remained an industry leader, helping the post-production and exhibition communities with the latest-generation products, service, and technical expertise,” noted Paul Salvini.  “We are proud to moderate this panel, which brings together true industry visionaries to discuss HFR, the next phase of the digital cinema revolution.”

Salvini added: “Christie continues to forge alliances in Hollywood with powerful proponents of HFR such as James Cameron, as well as partnering with leading post-production facilities such as Park Road Post Production and Weta Digital Ltd., to ensure a seamless transition to HFR and a superior movie-viewing experience.”

Among the movies on the horizon to feature HFR is the sequel to James Cameron’s “Avatar,” as well as Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit,“ both of which will also be presented in stereoscopic 3D. 

Salvini noted that Christie recently affirmed its HFR leadership with the world’s first and only single-manufacturer DLP Cinema projector and Integrated Media Block (IMB) combination that meets the DCI specifications in both the 2K and 4K mode of operation. It’s the best combination for producing the brightest and sharpest image and the most reliable HFR solution. 

“Christie has earned a solid reputation for accelerating innovations in digital projection technology that includes the first to market a fully stereoscopic 3D DLP projector, in addition to providing leadership in the development and implementation of visualization and immersive technologies,” said Salvini. 

To register for the conference, visit SIGGRAPH 2012. Also visit Christie at SIGGRAPH 2012 Booth #1123.

About Christie

Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio Inc., Japan, (JP:6925), designs, sophisticated virtual reality, simulation systems and control room environments including high-resolution power walls, multi-sided immersive environments, curved screen displays, domed simulation and multi-projector arrays. Industries and organizations that rely on Christie range from government agencies to oil and gas, aerospace to entertainment, and manufacturing and design to pharmaceuticals.    For more information, visit www.christiedigital.com.